


Safe House

by MorganaNK



Category: Inspector Lynley - All Media Types, Inspector Lynley Mysteries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 17:51:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10702059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganaNK/pseuds/MorganaNK
Summary: Tommy finds himself in need of Barbara's help





	Safe House

**Author's Note:**

> Property of Elizabeth George and the BBC, no copyright infringement intended

“Barbara, thank heavens you’re still up. I need your help.”

“Sir?” Tommy was looking up and down the road outside my front door. He seemed nervous, as though he expected someone to jump out at him at any moment. “Do you want to come in?”

He ducked past me and into the flat, his manners apparently deserting him. I shut the door and turned to face him. “What’s going on?”

“If I tell you, do you promise not to laugh?”

“I don’t normally laugh when someone comes to me and says that they need my help.”

Tommy looked suitably chastised. “No, you don’t, sorry.”

“So, are you going to tell me what is going on or do I have to give mind reading a go?”

“I need somewhere to stay.”

I sat down on the couch and gestured for him to sit next to me. “What’s wrong with your townhouse or Howenstow?”

He sighed deeply, his elbows on his knees, and covered his face with his hands. “Mother.”

“What’s she done now?”

“She invited herself to stay, which I didn’t mind, but she’s brought one of my cousins with her.”

“That’s a bit presumptuous.”

“Oh, it gets worse, much worse. Henrietta’s a complete Sloane Ranger. Laughs like a horse, drinks champagne as if it is going out of fashion, paws at me and calls me her darling Tommy bear. I think she has her eye on becoming the next Lady Asherton.”

“Surely you can handle over enthusiastic female attention Sir.”

“I could until an hour ago.”

“What happened then?”

“After you dropped me home, I went upstairs to my room to get ready for bed and found Henrietta lying naked on top of the covers waiting for me.”

“Never! What did you do?”

“I backed out of the room, left the house, caught a cab and came here. Can I stay?”

“Of course you can, but I have to ask, why not stay at a hotel?”

“Mother knows the hotels we have accounts with, and I don’t want to be found. Mother doesn’t know your address, and I’ve turned my mobile off so that neither of them can call me.”

“Do you think she is encouraging this Henrietta woman?”

“Maybe not the offering herself naked on a plate side of things, but I don’t think she would have invited her to join her for a ‘spot of shopping in London’ if she wasn’t trying to pair us off. Mother thinks that I should at least be engaged by now. She’s been suggesting what she describes as ideal eligible women for over six months now and I’ve just about had enough.”

“It’s unfair of both of them to drive you out of your home, but you are more than welcome to stay here for as long as you need to. You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“No Barbara, that’s not fair on you. I’m not making you sleep on the couch.”

“You’re a foot taller than me, and I know that you and my couch have a love hate relationship.”

“Yes, I love to hate it, but that doesn’t mean that I am kicking you out of your bed. You’re doing me a huge favour here letting me use your flat as a personal safe house. I’ll take the couch.”

“Oh, for the love of god, we need to get some sleep if we’re going to be in any fit state for work tomorrow so we’ll share the bloody bed! Good night Sir!”

As I went to push past Tommy he grabbed hold of my hand.

“Please don’t be cross with me Barbara. I know that we do it often, but I hate it when we argue. You’re my best friend, the only person I can turn to who isn’t intimidated by who I am, and who is honest with me. I don’t want to fall out with you.”

“I don’t want to fall out with you either. I’m tired, you’re tired, let’s just go to bed and sort everything else out in the morning.”

~*~

I lay on my side watching Tommy sleep, overwhelmed by the love I felt for him. In all the years we had worked together this was the first time we had ever shared a bed, but it felt natural. 

I couldn’t believe the cheek of his mother, or the blatant forwardness of his cousin. To behave the way they had, to drive him from his home, that was unacceptable behaviour in anyone’s book. Tommy’s love life was his concern and his alone. If he didn’t want to date then that was his choice. He had been through so much pain, it was perfectly reasonable for him to be wary of putting himself out there again; his family should have respected that.

I reached out and gently brushed a lock of hair from his forehead, something I would never dare do when he was awake. My breath hitched as his hand came up, his fingers wrapping around my wrist. His eyes flickered open and a sleepy smile crossed his face.

“Hello you.” 

“Hi.”

He brought my wrist to his lips, tenderly kissing the inside of it. I gasped as a warmth flooded my body and a tingling sensation took up residence in my groin. Tommy released my wrist, his fingers tracing my face. As one of them caressed my lips I opened my mouth, captured the digit and sucked on it; it was Tommy’s turn to gasp. His finger slid from my mouth.

“Can I kiss you Barbara?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

His lips pressed against mine, his hands sliding through my hair, pulling me closer. I rested one hand on his shoulder, the other I slid over his hip and under the waistband of his boxer shorts. We melted into each other and let passion take over.

~*~

We lay back next to each other on the bed, hot, sweaty and breathing heavily.

“Do you now agree that my idea of us sharing a bed was a good one? I think we should drive over to yours and thank Henrietta!”

“No, we should stay exactly where we are, snuggled up together. But as far as sharing the bed goes I agree, it was a brilliant idea and I’m sorry I was so stupid about it.”

“You weren’t, you were being your normal courteous, gallant and gorgeous self; which are several of the many reasons why I love you.”

“You do, do you? That’s good because I love you too.”

“I should hope so after what we’ve just done!”

Tommy rolled onto his side, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Marry me.”

I turned to face him and smiled, “if I do, will I have to evict naked women from your bedroom?”

“No, the only naked woman with a thirty-mile radius of my bedroom will be you.”

I tugged him down on top of me, sliding my arms around him. “Hmmm, that sounds promising. Ask me again.”

He cradled my face between his hands again, staring deep into my eyes. “Marry me.”

“Yes, a hundred times yes.”

“Only a hundred?”

“I would make it a thousand, but I thought you’d rather I saved my energy for something else.”

“I like the way you think.”

“Well how about you show me just how much you like it.”

"That I can do."

“I should hope so, after all, I’ve just agreed to marry you.”

“And I plan on showing you just how much I like the way you think every day for the rest of our lives; starting right now.”


End file.
